


The Simple Art of a Half-Windsor Knot

by kiite



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Domestic, Gen, Jigen's not much better, Light Goemon Bullying, Lupin's a (loveable) asshole, Team Dynamics, i legitimately have no idea what to tag this as im so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 03:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29343387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiite/pseuds/kiite
Summary: Goemon struggles, much to Lupin’s delight.
Relationships: Ishikawa Goemon XIII & Jigen Daisuke & Arsène Lupin III
Comments: 8
Kudos: 35





	The Simple Art of a Half-Windsor Knot

**Author's Note:**

> the only reason this aint tagged as ship is cause theres nothing explicitly implying theyre in a relationship but like. my god these bitches gay. good for them
> 
> please enjoy my first little lupin fic!

“Hey, Lupin.” 

Pushing his lensless glasses up the bridge of his nose, Lupin turned to his partner in crime. “Hmmm?” 

From where he was stretched out on the couch, Jigen jabbed his thumb in the direction of the closed bathroom door. “He’s been in there a while, yeah? Too much longer and we’ll be late to the auction.” The reclining man seemed eager to be done with this job. His dark hair was swept over his eyes in lieu of his trusty hat, and it was clear that he’d much rather have the hat back on. 

Lupin stared at him for a moment longer than necessary— Jigen without his hat was, after all, a rare treat— before he followed the trajectory of his finger. The door had been shut for a while now; presumably, Goemon was on the other side, preparing for the auction. But it had been a while since there had been any noise from the room, and they couldn’t sit around any longer.

“Maybe he climbed out through the window to go perch on the top of a tower,” Lupin said with a shrug, closing the book he had been reading and laying it flat on the desk in front of him. “You know how he is.” 

Jigen barked out a laugh, putting his hands behind his head. “That’d be a big problem. You know damn well we need him and that sword of his for this job— got no backup plan for gettin’ into that vault.” He moved a hand to lift part of his fringe, a single eye emerging to stare at Lupin. “And I’m sure you’re not thinking of calling this whole thing off, since Fujiko asked you _personally_ to get her that diamond.” 

“Ah! Alright, alright, I’ll go check in on him.” With a slightly miffed grin, Lupin rose to his feet, rocking on the heels of his dress shoes for a moment as he did. He made his way over to the bathroom with his typical lazy gait, facing the back of his hand to the door as he knocked ceaselessly.

“Goemon, dear, we’ve got to go!” Lupin called out in a singsong voice, “You still in there?”

The only immediate response was the sound of something small and metal hitting the floor— probably the tie clip Lupin had lent him— followed by a muttered but sharp expletive. At least it was proof that Goemon hadn’t snuck out of the apartment. Lupin paused in his relentless knocking as Goemon cleared his throat from the other side of the door.

“...Go on ahead without me,” Goemon responded, voice even. “I will meet you at the venue later.” 

Lupin frowned, leaning against the doorframe. “C’mon, it’s already pretty far by car; we don’t need the plan falling apart at the last second because our samurai decided to hoof it and isn’t there on time.” 

By this point, Jigen had entered Lupin’s peripheral vision, curiosity getting the better of his desire to laze around. He hung back a bit, hands shoved in his pockets as he slouched nearby. Lupin could only shrug as his partner shot him a questioning look.

After a lengthy pause, Lupin managed to pick up on something spoken far too softly to be discerned accurately through the door. Like a thief trying to eavesdrop on an important conversation about hidden treasure, he pressed his ear up against the wood. “Couldn’t quite catch that, Goemon— one more time?” 

“I fear that, well…” Goemon repeated, still muffled but audible this time, “...I do not know how to tie a tie knot.” 

Another beat passed before Lupin and Jigen broke down into loud, uncontrollable laughter. Lupin knew he shouldn’t, he _really_ shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help it. His fears were confirmed when he heard the quiet sound of the lock clicking into place. He moved his hand to the knob, twisting to no avail.

“Aw, c’mon, Goemon! Let me in!” Lupin said, though the laughter had yet to leave his voice. “I’ll show you how to tie it!”

“This is precisely the reason why I did not ask for your assistance earlier,” Goemon groused, and Lupin could clearly picture the pout on his face at that very moment. It only made his own smile grow.

“It’s fine— we’re not laughing _at_ you—“

“I am!” Jigen interjected between raspy chuckles. Lupin rewarded him with a light elbow to the ribs.

“Look, it’s fine,” Lupin continued, hand still closed around the doorknob. “Just open the door, let some professionals show you how it’s done, and we can still make it to the auction on time. Deal?” 

There was a moment of deliberation, and then, in lieu of a response, the lock clicked once more and the door creaked open an inch. Lupin took the opportunity to push it all the way before Goemon could change his mind.

Goemon wasn’t looking at them. Standing stiffly, clearly uncomfortable on account of both the restricting clothing and the situation he found himself in, the samurai focused his attention on a spot on the floor as he scowled. The tie was around his neck, loosely held together by the sloppiest knot Lupin had ever seen. 

With a whistle, Lupin let himself into the small room. “Damn, you might wear Jigen’s suits better than he does.” Though Goemon was a bit taller than the gunman, the borrowed suit still fit him nicely. 

“Hey, I take offense to that,” Jigen piped up from where he leaned in the open doorway, hands in his pockets. “You certainly don’t look bad in it, though.” 

Goemon’s frown deepened as he tried to loosen the collar of his dress shirt, with little success. “I smell like a cigarette factory.” 

“Pretty sure you always do, hanging around us,” Lupin quipped in response, stepping into Goemon’s personal space as he reached for the mess of a knot. “Now let me fix this…”

Goemon was deathly still as Lupin’s deft hands undid the knot, pulling the tie free. While Jigen was quite well acquainted with Lupin’s physicality— from touches to grabs to shoulder leans, you name it— Goemon had always strived to put a bit more distance between himself and others. He certainly had his moments of contact, whether it be tolerating one of Lupin’s many touches or even initiating one himself, but he valued his personal space quite highly. 

While Lupin looped the silky tie around the back of Goemon’s neck, Jigen let himself into the room. He moved behind the samurai, gathering up the curtain of smooth black hair and pulling it free from where it had been pinned beneath the suit jacket. “Gettin’ long,” Jigen noted, briefly running a hand through Goemon’s hair to smooth it out. “You sure you don’t want to tie it up?” 

If Goemon wanted Jigen to stop, he chose not to say so. “It is fine, thank you,” Goemon replied, his words slightly clipped but sincere as always. “Perhaps I will need to cut it soon, lest it become an obstacle.” 

“I think you should grow it out,” Lupin said, throwing in his two cents whether anyone else wanted them or not. “I bet it’d look nice. But, if you _must_ — let me or Fujiko do it, ok? You and Jigen have no eye for style.” 

Jigen just shrugged, abandoning Goemon’s hair to start fixing the collar of his suit jacket, which had folded over at some point. 

Lupin couldn’t help smiling— it was always nice when they managed to rope Goemon into a casual conversation. Sometimes, trying to chat with Goemon was like getting blood from a stone; but it had gotten notably easier, the longer Goemon was around them. Maybe soon, he’d start letting Lupin pull him into group hugs without ducking out after a few seconds…

“Why have you stopped?” Goemon asked.

“Huh?” 

“The tie,” Goemon prodded, gesturing to where Lupin’s hands had paused, knot half formed between his dexterous fingers. “I am observing closely, so that I will not need your assistance next time.” 

“Oh,” Lupin said, not realizing he had stopped at all. He resumed, hands moving slow enough to ensure that Goemon could catch every step. “That stings, Goemon dear. I’d be happy to do it for you any time!” 

“And I would be happier doing it myself,” Goemon rebutted. The hard line of his passive frown softened a little, and his eyes darted to the side, pupils hidden a bit beneath his long eyelashes. A light, almost imperceptible blush dusted his cheeks— but Lupin wasn’t called a master thief for nothing. He’d never miss a detail. “I must thank you for your guidance, though. I thought I had learned all your strange tricks at this point.” 

“Not sure I’d call tying a tie knot a “strange trick”, but suit yourself,” Lupin chuckled, nearly finished. He began to tighten the knot slowly, careful not to ruin his work.

“Hey, Lupin,” Jigen called, getting at least a part of his attention. The gunman had leaned a bit out the window, gazing at something in the distance. “Looks like they shut down traffic on the bridge. That’s gonna set us back at least half an hour.” 

“What?!” Lupin exclaimed, his hand instinctively shooting up much faster than he planned. He realized his mistake instantly; Goemon shoved himself away from Lupin violently as he attempted to loosen the tie that was now choking him. In the process, the samurai slammed into Jigen, nearly sending the gunman tumbling out the window of the fourth-story apartment. 

Lupin was on the floor in a moment, unable to contain his laughter over the chaos that had absolutely been entirely his fault. Neither Jigen nor Goemon seemed to find the whole thing half as funny as he did; Goemon was glaring at him like a betrayed animal, and Jigen was positioning himself far away from the window. 

Jigen got over it quickly, as he always did, and huffed in a mixture of exasperation and amusement as he headed for the car. Goemon, on the other hand, refused to relent. From across the room, his glare cut into Lupin like a sword as he redid the half-Windsor knot himself. A bit sloppier than Lupin or Jigen might have done it, but much nicer than his first attempt. Lupin felt strangely proud, the way he felt anytime Goemon put to use a skill one of them had taught him. 

“If I treat you to some nice sushi tonight, will you forgive me?” Lupin asked with a grin as he pushed himself off the floor. “There’s a great little joint around here—“

“If your “great little joint” is a convenience store—“ Goemon interjected, only to be interrupted himself by Lupin.

“No, no— no convenience store sushi, I promise! Actual, good, _pricey_ sushi, and as much of it as you want— all on me!”

Goemon narrowed his eyes. “I’ll consider it,” he answered simply before shuffling out of the room after Jigen. Lupin dusted off his suit and hurried after him; they were late enough as it was. 

Judging by the fact that they made him sit in the backseat of his own damn car, Lupin figured they hadn’t forgiven him yet. He couldn’t find it in himself to pout about it, though.

**Author's Note:**

> my lovely sweet wonderful light of my life dear friend Jesse (Vandereer on here, check em out) made adorable art for this fic fuckin LIGHTNIN FAST so please enjoy it as much as i do!!
> 
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/626575949655441448/809207450045382676/unknown.png


End file.
